Manning cautiously pushing rehab to ingest Giants' offense

June 04, 2014|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

NFL Team Report - New York Giants - INSIDE SLANT

With the media antsy for news in the elongated run up to the 2014 NFL Draft, New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese created a bit of a stir when he told reporters he did not thing quarterback Eli Manning would be able to participate in offseason workouts following an ankle debridement in April.

To everyone's surprise, Manning has not only been on the field just seven weeks removed from his surgery for the start of the Giants' organized team activities (OTAs) this week, he's moving around with no apparent physical limitations.

"I felt good; (I've been) doing everything, so it felt good to be back out there learning the offense and getting going," Manning said.

With the Giants installing a new offense, having their quarterback on the field at this point is a big bonus.

"It's huge," said head coach Tm Coughlin of having Manning out there on the field. "He can get the reps during the spring (to get) the offense down. But the time we come back, he'll be comfortable with it. He'll be able to communicate it by virtue of signals, so this is really very good."

What's more, Manning, who said he hasn't been experiencing any swelling or post-practice issues after working for two consecutive days, seems to have no limitations right now.

"Only on paper," Coughlin said with a smile. "We're two days in and he's running around, and I'm trying to slow him down, but he feels good."

For as much work as there is to be done, Manning said he's trying to be smart about things so as to not suffer a setback.

"The last few weeks I've been doing most things from a practice standpoint," he noted.

"We're still being smart with some things (and) not trying to overdo it. (We're) not trying to have consecutive days where we're doing a lot of pounding, a lot of jumping and landing on it, but just doing daily football activities."

Manning admitted that his sense of urgency to be out on the field was largely driven by the fact that the new offense is being installed.

"I think this year having a new offense definitely made me want to be out there with the team running plays," he said.

"It's one thing to watch it from the sideline and think you know what's going on, but sometimes you have to be right there at the line of scrimmage, making calls and checks and reads."

He's also not planning to take any time off from the OTAs to rest himself.

"Obviously this week I have three practices in a row; most days we have two and then a day off followed by two more, we're going to see how it's responding," he said.

"There's been no swelling after practice, no discomfort or issues. I'm just ready to keep going about my business, keep going out there on the field and take one day at a time and see how it feels."

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NFL Team Report - New York Giants - NOTES, QUOTES

--Giants safety Will Hill lost his appeal and was suspended Friday (May 30) for the first six games of the 2014 season after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Monday, the Giants announced they had waived Hill.

The Giants also made news Friday with the release of quarterback Josh Freeman, who signed with the team during the offseason to compete for a backup spot behind starter Eli Manning.

The failed drug test was the third for Hill in his three years in the league.

The latest penalty comes 10 months after Hill was suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He later acknowledged that he used marijuana. Once he returned last season, Hill had 77 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games.

The first failed test came during his rookie season in 2012 when he was suspended for four games for what he later admitted to be Adderall use.

The 24-year-old Hill had practiced with the second-team defense on Thursday.

Veteran Stevie Brown is expected to step in to fill Hill's safety spot. The Giants also drafted safety Nat Berhe in the fifth round.

Freeman's departure leaves the Giants with Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib as potential reserves behind Manning, who is coming back from offseason ankle surgery. Manning worked with the team during organized team activities this week.

Freeman left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and ended up in Minnesota, playing one game for the Vikings when he was ill-prepared.

--Brown had been rotating with Hill with the first-team defense. Brown is working his way back from ACL surgery last summer.

"The way I was feeling toward the end, the rehab process, I was feeling pretty good so I came out here limited in mind but just keep on going, and it really hasn't been bothering me," Brown said.

Physically, Brown said he doesn't have any limitations, but noted that he's not about to overdo it lest he create a setback for himself.